How to throw a poker run

Want to host a poker run but not sure how to go about it? We give you a few pointers in this blog post!

 Title your blog post "How to throw a poker run".

 Write an introduction that includes what the most common misconceptions about hosting a poker run are and answer them.

 Talk about the different elements of hosting a successful event: logistics, players, route, prizes, outdoorsy clothing/gear/food. Add any other tips or tricks for throwing an amazing race. 

 Also include what you hope readers will take away from your blog post — anything you hope they'll learn from you and for others reading your piece.

 Having a great concept or idea for a blog post (or any article for that matter), is difficult. Do your research; consider your audience; identify the most important points to make in this article and create the best piece of writing you can.

 Good luck and happy writing!

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Quote of the week: "Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment. You learn from doing." - Fred Brooks, Jr.

Title: How to throw a poker run

Quote of the week: "Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment. You learn from doing." - Fred Brooks, Jr.

Waffle's Story Every year my family and I go on vacation to the beach in Florida, New Smyrna Beach to be specific. My family has been going there since I was tiny baby running around in diapers. The town is small and everyone knows each other so it is a fun environment for kids (and not so kids). Growing up we would spend the whole week there every year and it was a blast. We would wake up and hit the beach, maybe have lunch then back to the beach. Then in the evenings we'd go to my grandparent's house for some good old fashioned family time. I'm sure I sound like your average teenager who just wants to hang with his friends, but honestly that's not me. What I'm talking about is a very specific type of hangout. I love gambling. And not just the whole Old West style of poker, but also video poker and anything casino related.

So naturally the first question you ask yourself when going to a town like New Smyrna Beach is, "How do you get in on the action?" and my answer is "How about throwing a poker run?" We're talking about leaving your house around noon and running 3-4 miles down the beach to an actual casino with casino like tables, poker rooms and machines, food vendors, prize giveaways, showers, drinks etc., all with people cheering you on (some of which would be family) to raise money for charity.

The fact is we all have some sort of hidden talent, skill or gift that the world needs to know about. The only problem I see is that the world doesn't seem to know how to find it. The best way for a person to encapsulate their talents is by creating a blog. After all, that's why they exist; it's how you get your voice heard in this universe. They're also a great way to network and make some extra cash as well!

As stated earlier, my main blogger has been our Public Relations Manager, Kristin Fields. Kristin has been with me since I started this blog back in August of 2011. If you are not familiar with what a blogger is, let me fill you in. A blogger is someone who creates blogs about something or is the person behind the blogs. Think of it as a virtual writer's workshop where everybody writes about one thing and then it's voted on by others for what they believe is the best post. If their post gets chosen by a judge, then that person wins money to be donated to charity.

It's not a blog about me as much as it is a blog about the poker runs. We've thrown several poker runs with the most recent being the largest we've hosted so far. I hosted two different poker runs for my friends in September and October. The first time around we got together to raise money for Be The Match (we won). The second time we raised money for Uplifting Athletes, which was an organization that sent a runner to Disney World after he had cancer, all expenses paid. Both of these events were successful and that's why I decided to put this post together.

My biggest problem was how to keep the attention of the reader. I needed to give them a reason to keep going back and reading my blog posts. I've tried everything from captivating content and short posts to people actually writing about me after I did a series on them. But none of these were effective, until I came up with "I'm Waffle Man".

The reason why this works so well for me is because it's completely different than what you see every day on other blogs. There are no long, drawn out stories and there aren't any pictures of the beaches or sunsets from where I live in Florida. It's just me being my regular self and doing what I do, whether it be talking about a vacation or, in this case, poker runs.

The advantage of having a blog on WordPress is that you don't have to put up any money to get started. All you have to do is sign up for an account and start writing! You don't even have to purchase a domain name. Just let WordPress host the site for free, then use your own e-mail address as your username . In fact, because it's free you can set up as many blogs as you like. You can also join other websites such as a social news network site like StumbleUpon or Digg to help give your posts an extra boost in the rankings.

There are a few simple tricks to writing a good blog that anyone can do, like making sure that they have captivating content, make their paragraphs easy to read and don't forget the most important part, where you tell them what you want them to take away from your article. Even though I'm just 21 years old I've still managed to come up with some decent tips for all ages.

Conclusion

I'm using this post to help encourage you to get started creating a blog today. You don't need to have an expert photographer or a background in writing because blogging is all about who you are as a person. Yes, it's hard work and it takes time, but the more you continue to do it, the easier it becomes. The most important thing for anybody starting out on their own is that they find their voice and their niche.

This is just one example of how I "find my voice." It's not very often that somebody has the opportunity to create a whole new persona for themselves online; where they can be completely honest about who they are without any reservations or doubts.